Recently, five Lacey businesses each received a $100,000 grant from the Thurston County Target Zone Business Startup Grant (Startup Grant) program, an important component of the Thurston Strong Economic Response, Recovery, and Reset Plan.
The Lacey grant recipients also recently attended the City of Lacey Business Startup Training administered by the Thurston Economic Development Council. The five-week training program was made possible to these businesses due to the Lacey City Council’s support. The Council authorized the City to provide scholarships to new businesses located in, or planning to locate in, the City of Lacey with a focus on Black, Indigenous, and People of Color- (BIPOC), veteran-, and women-owned startups to attend the training.
Daniel Nelson Rojas, owner/operator of VNBC Physical Therapy, attended the training and received one of the grants. “I really want to help people get better with the best treatment possible. However, I realized in order to build awareness and an environment that works best for my patients, it requires the development and implementation of many strategies,” stated Rojas. “The training provided great insights into the business aspect of our industry, and helped us develop a plan to bring our service to the community. The grant provided us the ability to purchase equipment with technology that is instrumental in assessing and treating various conditions. This will significantly benefit patients during their rehabilitation process.”
Background
The goal of the Startup Grant program is to address economic inequity by investing in community members and areas most vulnerable to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of ten grants, including the five Lacey recipients, were awarded to applicants that live or operate their business within the identified target zone. The program is supported by American Rescue Plan Act funding awarded to Thurston County.
Learn More
Grant funding for this program is currently closed. However, you can learn more about the Thurston County Target Zone Business Startup Grant program and other potential grant opportunities at ThurstonStrong.org. To find out more about no-cost services and resources for entrepreneurs, business owners, and managers to achieve greater success, visit BusinessResources.thurstonedc.com. You can also find business resources at LocationLocationLacey.com.
Original source can be found here.
